SWNOVELS Chapter Chapter Thirty
Matthew was in his small room getting all of his stuff packed. He had to get out of there. He wasn’t sure how much time he would have before he was discovered to be a Black Hand. No doubt the camp ranch had called up to the lodge by now. If they weren’t, they would be soon. He had heard several people talking on the radios, asking for Gabriel and Jasper to hurry to the medical building and that Andrew, the summer doctor, would be needed. He knew that once everything had calmed down with the camper’s death, he would be pinned for the attack because he hadn’t been at the camp ranch during the shooting.
He buried his Black Hand uniform under all of his clothes in his clothes bag. He stopped to try to see if he could hear people walking to his room. Hearing no one, he started putting his bedsheets into his bed bag. “Going somewhere?” Matthew spun around in alarm. It was Josiah. The Black Hand had his arms crossed over his chest and he didn’t look happy.
Matthew nodded, uncertain of what was happening. Did Josiah forget what he had told Matthew? “I’m packing up and then heading to the manor to hide out for a few days.” He answered. “Just like what you told me to do.” Did Josiah really forget about that?
Josiah smiled. “Right.” He said. “I nearly forgot.” The way he said it made Matthew even more worried about what was going on.
“I’m still going to the manor where the Magician is, right?” Matthew asked.
Josiah looked at him and his smile vanished. His eyes glowed red. “Unfortunately, you’re not going to the manor.” He answered.
Matthew backed up. He knew that he couldn’t trust Josiah. “Why not?” He demanded. “I did what I was told. I killed that Audrey kid like you originally told me to.” That had to count for something. Sure he didn’t get to see if Emily was indeed the chosen one but that was on Anthony. Anthony had told him to leave right after shooting Audrey. The way that the radio chat was going, it sounded like Emily wasn’t the chosen one after all. “Emily didn’t save Audrey so the test went exactly as you wanted it to.” He told Josiah, hoping that would save him.
Josiah glared at Matthew with his glowing red eyes. “Did you really think that you did what you were told?” He asked in a disgusted voice. “I gave you an order to carry out the test and unfortunately for you, Emily did pass the test.”
Matthew’s face fell. “She saved Audrey from death?” He asked. He was surprised to hear that and he was a bit disappointed that he didn’t get to see that all happen.
Josiah nodded. “I just told Anthony and he’s agreed with me on something.”
Matthew backed up to his bed. He was right by the case with the gun and the bullets. What Josiah didn’t know was that Matthew had put a second bullet into the gun right before Anthony had appeared. Matthew had expected a betrayal like this and he wasn’t going to die without putting up a fight. “What did you and Anthony agree on?” He asked, hoping to distract Josiah. He looked briefly at the case.
Josiah noticed that eye movement. “We both agreed that you know too much about our operation.” He answered. “And that you’re a game piece that Anthony needs to sacrifice for the greater good.” He raised his hand up. To Matthew’s surprise and horror, it was the gun. Josiah looked at the gun. “Since no one suspects you of being the Black Hand killer, we could let you walk away but like I said, you know too much about Anthony’s plan.” He aimed the gun at Matthew. “And that makes you too dangerous.”
Matthew shook his head. “I don’t know anything about Anthony’s plan!” He cried desperately. He didn’t want to die. He realized now that putting the second bullet into the gun was a bad idea.
Josiah began to pull the trigger. “You do though know too much about Anthony’s plan.” He told Matthew. “After all, you’ve been ordered to kill Audrey three times and you have failed all three times.” As far as Anthony and Josiah were concerned, it would be just a matter of time before the Man with the German Accent would be interested in their activities if they allowed Matthew to live and to run away.
Josiah pulled the trigger, firing the bullet. Matthew backed into the wall as he felt the bullet enter him. His eyes widened. He had never imagined that he would die like this. All he ever had done was follow orders like a loyal Black Hand. He felt the poison coursing through his blood. He slid to the ground as he held his wound. “It wasn’t supposed to happen like this.” He said before he died.
Josiah went up to Matthew’s dead body. “Look at this like this.” He told the dead body. “No one will suspect you of being the attempted killer if you’re dead.” His eyes glowed and the same mask appeared over his face. Matthew’s clothes turned into his summer camp uniform. “Now you’ll be just a dead staff member here. Only the Black Hand will know who you really were and that you’re really dead because you disobeyed the Magician.” No need to bring in the real reason why Matthew was killed. The last thing any of them needed was the knowledge of another chosen one out on the loose.
“Matthew? What just happened?” Josiah stood up and turned around as he heard staff members running towards Matthew’s room. He made sure the rest of his disguise was on before the door flew open. Just as Josiah suspected, there were a few staff members.
“The attacker is in here!” One of them shouted. Three of the staff members took off running. Josiah could hear them talking on the radio. No doubt they were going to call for the rest of the staff who could come and maybe Gabriel or Jasper. He smiled under his mask. By the time one of those two was able to get there, he would be long gone. His eyes glowed red and he disappeared in a column of fire.
In the manor, Josiah reappeared in the foyer where the Man with the German Accent usually was. Just as he expected, the Man with the German Accent was there. He had clearly startled the Man with the German Accent. The bodyguards the Man with the German Accent had their guns pointed at Josiah. Josiah removed his mask and his hood. The Man with the German Accent motioned for his men to lower their guns. “You have news for me?” He asked Josiah.
Josiah nodded. “I found the one who was threatening your plans.” He told the Man with the German Accent.
The Man with the German Accent smiled. “Excellent.” He said. “Who was it?” He really wanted to know who had been stupid enough to challenge him and the Darkness.
Josiah smiled a little. “There was a Black Hand at the camp who went by the name of Matthew.” He answered. “I had to kill him because he refused to stand down.” He raised the gun up. “This was the weapon that he had used when he tried to shoot the chosen one.” That wasn’t entirely the truth but in a way it was. Matthew had tried to shoot the Chosen One. Just a different one. He had refused to stand down because he was loyal to the Black Hand. Josiah did have to kill him because Matthew had tried to convince him not to kill him.
The Man with the German Accent shook his head. “At least the Chosen One is still alive.” He said before he smiled. “Means that we’ll be able to sacrifice her to the Darkness on the day of the ritual.” He stood up and went to Josiah. “You have done me a great service by getting rid of Matthew.” He told Josiah. “I’ll make sure that you are rewarded for your services.” The Man with the German Accent went back to his seat. “Now leave me please.” He ordered. “I have to get back to planning the next part of the plan.” Josiah nodded and walked out of the room. It was time for him to talk to Derdrom.
Derdrom was in the basement polishing his sword when Josiah appeared in a column of fire. Derdrom didn’t even bother looking up at him. He knew Josiah’s way of appearing and disappearing. “What brings you here Josiah?” He asked.
Josiah raised the gun. “I thought you would want to know about how your bullets worked.” He told Derdrom.
Derdrom looked up from his sword at Josiah. “Did they work?” He asked. He needed to know if his special bullets worked or not.
Josiah nodded. “Quite well.” He answered. “They would have done their job right if James hadn’t gotten in the way though.”
Derdrom frowned. “What happened?” He demanded. He needed to know. What did James do?
Josiah shook his head. “James was able to save the Chosen One by coaching her on how to save a life.” He explained. “He must have gotten through to the girl because she was able to pull the bullet and the poison out of her.” No sense in telling Derdrom the whole truth. Derdrom looked at him. Josiah had a feeling that the old man was trying to get more information from him. Derdrom wouldn’t succeed though. Josiah’s mind was impossible to penetrate. He had had thousands of years to perfect his abilities.
Derdrom shook his head and went back to polishing his sword. “At least we know that the girl is the Chosen One now.” He said. “That means the Darkness will be able to come back like we all had planned originally.”
Josiah nodded and set the gun on the table. “Unfortunately I wasn’t able to get the case that the gun was in.” He told Derdrom. “My spy left in a spot that the staff were able to get to too quickly.”
Derdrom didn’t lookup. “What happened to your spy?” He did ask though.
Josiah smiled stiffly. “I killed him so he wouldn’t talk about who had given him your bullets and gun.” He answered.
Derdrom smiled as he polished his sword. “Good.” He said. “One less problem to deal with as of now.” He put his sword down and stood up. He turned to Josiah. “Everything is going according to plan as the Darkness wanted it to be.” He told Josiah. He looked at the four coffins. Josiah followed suit and looked at the coffins as well. “We’ll have the last Horseman on the night of the ritual as soon as the ritual has been completed.” Derdrom continued. “And once the Darkness has risen up, he’ll have his four heralds to lead the rest of the Black Hand against the world.”
Josiah looked at the two empty coffins. He knew that one of them was meant for Derdrom but it didn’t sound like Derdrom was planning on going into it anytime soon. He wondered why the Darkness was waiting though to bring in the last Horseman of the Apocalypse until the night of the ritual. That seemed risky. The Darkness was waiting until the last minute to bring in the last Horseman.
“What does the Magician know as of now?” He asked Derdrom.
Derdrom smiled and laughed a little. “Only what the Darkness has told him.” He told Josiah. “And I doubt that the Darkness has told him everything that will really happen the night of the ritual.” He couldn’t help but laugh as he thought about that. Josiah looked at him. He wondered what Derdrom knew that the Man with the German Accent didn’t.